Disaster Cleanup Workers in Michigan Settled Out of Court Over COVID-19 Concerns
A group of disaster-recovery workers who were hired to clean up after the devastating May 2020 dam failures and flooding in Midland, Michigan, have settled their lawsuit alleging they were exposed to hazardous conditions during the early pandemic. The Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice announced this week that the case has been resolved through a confidential settlement.
The lawsuit claimed that over 100 workers, many of whom were recruited from out-of-state, were put in unsanitary and overcrowded conditions while performing cleanup work at multiple sites, including hospitals, golf courses, and universities. The plaintiffs alleged they were housed in hotel rooms with as few as four people sharing a bed, transported in crowded vans, and required to gather indoors for daily briefings without social distancing.
The lawsuit also claimed that the defendants failed to implement basic COVID-19 safety protocols, such as proper preparedness plans, training, screening procedures, and sanitation measures. As workers began showing symptoms of COVID-19, public health officials advised them to remain in Michigan to isolate or quarantine, but key guidance was not properly communicated. Many workers became severely ill, requiring hospitalization and ventilator support.
The lawsuit named multiple defendants, including SERVPRO Industries LLC, BTN Services LLC, Favreau, Wallace, Rush, Schmidt, Inc., RDM Holding Co., and RACM, L.L.C. The settlement resolves allegations of negligence and violations of wage and sick-leave protections, as well as other state and federal claims.
John Philo, executive director of the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, stated that the lawsuit settlement sends a strong message about prioritizing worker safety during public health emergencies. "This outcome represents a major step forward for resilience workers who are often placed in hazardous environments with limited power to speak up," he said. "It affirms that companies responding to disasters must prioritize worker safety."
Saket Soni, executive director of Resilience Force, an organization representing the workers, added that the lawsuit was about standing up for workers' rights. "We hope this outcome drives meaningful industry-wide change to protect disaster-recovery workers in future emergencies," he said.
A group of disaster-recovery workers who were hired to clean up after the devastating May 2020 dam failures and flooding in Midland, Michigan, have settled their lawsuit alleging they were exposed to hazardous conditions during the early pandemic. The Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice announced this week that the case has been resolved through a confidential settlement.
The lawsuit claimed that over 100 workers, many of whom were recruited from out-of-state, were put in unsanitary and overcrowded conditions while performing cleanup work at multiple sites, including hospitals, golf courses, and universities. The plaintiffs alleged they were housed in hotel rooms with as few as four people sharing a bed, transported in crowded vans, and required to gather indoors for daily briefings without social distancing.
The lawsuit also claimed that the defendants failed to implement basic COVID-19 safety protocols, such as proper preparedness plans, training, screening procedures, and sanitation measures. As workers began showing symptoms of COVID-19, public health officials advised them to remain in Michigan to isolate or quarantine, but key guidance was not properly communicated. Many workers became severely ill, requiring hospitalization and ventilator support.
The lawsuit named multiple defendants, including SERVPRO Industries LLC, BTN Services LLC, Favreau, Wallace, Rush, Schmidt, Inc., RDM Holding Co., and RACM, L.L.C. The settlement resolves allegations of negligence and violations of wage and sick-leave protections, as well as other state and federal claims.
John Philo, executive director of the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, stated that the lawsuit settlement sends a strong message about prioritizing worker safety during public health emergencies. "This outcome represents a major step forward for resilience workers who are often placed in hazardous environments with limited power to speak up," he said. "It affirms that companies responding to disasters must prioritize worker safety."
Saket Soni, executive director of Resilience Force, an organization representing the workers, added that the lawsuit was about standing up for workers' rights. "We hope this outcome drives meaningful industry-wide change to protect disaster-recovery workers in future emergencies," he said.
!!! i'm so relieved to hear that these workers are finally getting the justice they deserve after going through all that trauma 
can't believe they were treated like that during a pandemic 
anyway glad that companies are being held accountable for prioritizing worker safety in emergency situations 
it's about time! 
. I mean, can you blame them? They were basically treated like s**t during a pandemic and had to deal with all this sh*t on top of the emotional trauma of cleaning up after a disaster 
. Its not about being paranoid or making a mountain out of a molehill, they just wanted some basic safety protocols implemented and respect for their rights 
. And honestly, I think companies like SERVPRO Industries LLC should be held accountable for their actions 
. The settlement might be a good start, but lets hope it leads to some real changes in the industry 
think about all those ppl who got sick cuz of faulty protocols & no social distancing measures r they gonna b held accountable 4 their companies negligence 2? also, its not just bout the workers it's bout the companies 2, r they gonna take responsibility 4 their actions or jus keep sweepin 2 under rug 
... they're talking about settlement now, which is def a win for them, but still crazy how they were treated 
Basic safety protocols? Training? Screening procedures? It's not that hard, fam 
. We should all be supporting them and advocating for better working conditions in disaster zones 
This whole thing is wild 
. The fact that they had to share beds like that and weren't given basic COVID safety protocols is just unacceptable 
. 
, but it raises questions about accountability 
. What else happened that we don't know? I think this whole thing highlights how vulnerable workers are in disaster situations 
. We need to make sure they're prioritized and protected 
.
This is so sad what happened to those people... They were already dealing with a huge trauma from the dam failures, and then they get exposed to covid-19 like that? It's just not right 
.
. It's not just about following rules, it's about treating people with respect and dignity 
.
. Those people are doing some amazing work, advocating for workers' rights and pushing for change 
. It's not always easy, but it's so important 
.
.
my heart goes out to those guys who risked everything to help their community in need